Cakemuir Castle facts for kids

Cakemuir Castle is an old house located about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Pathhead in the Lammermuir Hills, Midlothian, Scotland. Its name might come from the idea of offering a safe place and kindness to travelers heading to Melrose Abbey. Today, the castle is still a private home. It is protected as a special historic building, known as a category B listed building.

Discovering Cakemuir Castle

Cakemuir Castle is a tower house built in the mid-1500s. It stands on the spot where an older building, called Black Castle, once stood. The castle is shaped like a long rectangle and has four floors. Above the main floors, there is a walkway with a low wall (called a parapet) and an attic space. The parapet has two covered spots where guards could stand. On the fourth floor, there were once openings for guns, but these are now filled in. These gun-loops were the only way the castle could defend itself.

What Makes the Castle Special?

The castle has a round tower that sticks out. This tower holds a spiral staircase and is topped with a square room for watching. This type of watch room is also seen at Tolquhon Castle and Crossraguel Abbey. It might have shown support for the Protestant faith during that time.

Over the years, the castle has been changed and updated. In the 1700s, the Wauchope family added to the tower. By the late 1800s, it was changed into a Baronial style house, which is a type of Scottish castle-like architecture. It was made more modern again in 1926 by architects Rowand Anderson, Paul & Partners. Later, in 1952, Neil & Hurd helped restore it. More recently, a new building with a special curved roof (called an ogee-roofed pavilion) was added for a dining room and other spaces.

Queen Mary's Room

One special room inside is the paneled Hall, often called Queen Mary's room. This room remembers Mary, Queen of Scots. In June 1567, Mary dressed as a page (a young servant) and met with Bothwell at Cakemuir Castle. She had just escaped from Borthwick Castle. From Cakemuir, she then traveled to Dunbar.

Who Owned Cakemuir Castle?

On the east side of the castle, there is a shield with the Wauchope family's symbol. This shield used to be above the main entrance. Adam Wauchope, who was the fifth son of Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie Marischal, built Cakemuir Castle around 1564. He was a lawyer and even helped defend the Earl of Bothwell. The Wauchope family owned the castle until 1794, when the owner at that time passed away.

The castle's inside was also made modern in 1926 by the architect Arthur Forman Balfour Paul.

Can You Visit the Gardens?

Today, the Douglas-Miller family owns Cakemuir Castle. It has a 2-acre (0.81 ha) walled garden. This garden features box hedges, colorful rhododendrons, and fruit trees. Sometimes, the gardens are opened to the public as part of the Scotland's Gardens Scheme. This allows visitors to enjoy their beauty.